Verona-based medical records giant Epic Systems Corp. has used its experience with deploying complex projects quickly to aid in the state’s COVID-19 response.
As early cases in the state were reported, Gov. Tony Evers personally recruited the health care software company to help the State Emergency Operations Center by providing implementation expertise and project management software for construction.
An Epic team worked onsite at the SEOC command center to help in several areas, including identifying additional lab capacity in the state to meet increased demand for COVID-19 testing, helping facilities increase available isolation capacity for those who can’t isolate at home and helping health care systems analyze and increase their bed availability.
“Our work with health care organizations around the world prepared us to help coordinate this effort with the state,” said Danessa Sandmann, implementation director and lead for Epic’s state response team. “We’ve been able to translate the work we do every day to support our customers and their patients to help with the COVID-19 response right here at home.”
Epic has also donated software and staff to help set up field hospitals across the country, including the alternate care facility at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, and those in large metros such as New York, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas and St. Louis. In those cities, Epic’s teams have helped officials determine how to either add beds in existing hospital areas or create new hospitals at alternative facilities.
Epic is also part of a coalition of Wisconsin medical and biotech companies that have contributed to bolstering the state’s testing capacity. Partnering with Madison-based cancer diagnostics company Exact Sciences, Epic provided interoperability to connect health care providers with Exact to transfer test results from its lab to state officials and health care providers.
In addition, when childcare centers and schools shut down under Evers’ “Safer at Home” order, the company partnered with UW Health and UnityPoint Health–Meriter to convert its old headquarters building on Tokay Boulevard in Madison into a temporary daycare center for children of essential health care workers. Epic also provided meals cooked by the company’s culinary team to feed the children. Meriter licensed and operated the facility as an expansion of its childcare program, while UW Health provided furniture and other items for the daycare.
